hankyoreh

By Jeong Nam-ku, Tokyo correspondent

Citing tensions with China over claims to the Senkaku Islands (called the Diaoyu Islands in China), the Japanese government has decided to increase its defense budget for the first time in 11 years.

In order to keep Chinese aircraft from entering the air space above the Senkaku Islands, Abe Shinzo, prime minister of Japan, has ordered the Minister of Defense to expand the operation of fighters with the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF). This is expected to ratchet up tensions in the ongoing territorial dispute with China over the islands.

Appearing on the TV channel NHK on Jan. 6, Japanese minister of defense Itsunori Onodera said, “While Japan has been cutting defense spending for the past ten years, other countries in the area have gradually been increasing their budgets. I want to ask for a budget [this year] that will make it possible for us to secure a more certain defense system,” he said as explanation for the defense budge increase.

On this matter, Kyodo News cited an “authoritative source” in its report that in the 2013 fiscal year, which begins in April, the government would draft a defense budget that adds 60 billion yen (US$687.13 million) to the 4.71 trillion yen (US$53.94 billion) that was budgeted for the 2012 fiscal year. This is a similar scale to the defense budget in the 2009 fiscal year, the last budget passed before the Liberal Democratic Party lost control of the government.

The increase of the Japanese defense budget comes as Abe expresses his intention to change Article 9 of the Japanese constitution, which prohibits an act of war by the state, to account for the right of a group to defend itself. The budget increase appears to be Japan’s first step toward strengthening its military.

Abe ordered reinforcement of the defense system on the Senkaku Islands. On Jan. 5, Abe summoned the Minister of Defense and leaders of the Japan Coast Guard to his official residence, where he emphasized the “need to be always prepared so that there are no violations of our airspace or territory.” He also ordered increased operations by JASDF fighters and patrol boats in the Japan Coast Guard, NHK reported.

On Dec. 13, 2012, a Chinese naval aircraft flew over the Senkaku Islands, which Japan claims as its airspace, for the first time in history. China followed this with four additional flights by aircraft in the sky near the islands. Once again, on Jan. 5, a Chinese naval prop plane (Y-12) made a flyby in a region 100km away from the islands. Each time, Japan dispatched JASDF fighters in response.

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